DON LEMON: ‘Leslie Jones, Ignore The Haters’

These days, not only does everyone seem to have an opinion, a reason to take offense to just about anything, but they also have social media where they can go on, and mostly anonymously, b**** and moan about everything!!

Everything including Leslie Jones‘ performance on “Saturday Night Live” this past weekend where she joked about a slave draft.

“I’m just saying I’d be the number one slave draft pick all of the plantations would want me I’d be on television like Lebron announcing which plantation I was going to go to I’d be like I’d like to take my talents to South Carolina.”

Here’s the thing, for almost all of last year people were on a tear, complaining about diversity, asking where the sisters on SNL are?

Now that there are some black women on the show you complain about her material.

SNL has always been controversial, especially when it comes to race issues.

In the 1970′s SNL brilliantly used the n-word in a sketch with Richard Pryor and Chevy Chase.

Hell, in living color had Wanda.

Martin Lawrence had Shanaynay.

Neither character was flattering to black women, but we laughed.

Leslie Jones responded on twitter by saying that she couldn’t believe that she had to explain and defend herself to of all people, black people.

She went on to say that black people were too sensitive sometimes.

In this case, she’s right.

Here’s my advice.

Leave the woman alone.

Give her the freedom the rest of the cast has.

Give her the freedom to grow, to learn, to make mistakes.

She shouldn’t have to carry the collective burden of all black people on her shoulders.

She’s a comedian not a civil rights worker.

Leslie Jones, ignore the haters.

The loudest voices on twitter aren’t necessarily the majority.

Do your thang.

Kick ass and take names.

And for all you haters who are complaining, consider this, if she had told that joke in a comedy club on a Friday or Saturday night you would have been rolling on the floor and high fiving each other.

So, isn’t that what Jones is supposed to do, take what she learned in the clubs – a smaller platform, bring it to a wider audience, increase her reach and influence to make them laugh, to make them think?